1993-2013

I love a radio show called “Moscow Olds” –Московские Старости — on a Russian radio station Эхо Москвы. Today the year is 1995, people are calling in and sharing their memories of that time. In 1995 my mom was in the USA working for one more year, after leaving my father in Russia to take care of my brother and me. My mom was a young professor called to work in one of the best universities in the world — Brown University — and I guess people back in Russia were pretty envious of this once in a life time opportunity she got. How did she feel about this chance that took her so far away from her family? I don’t know, I have never asked her. Almost 20 years later, I left my job in a university, my family, friends and went to start a new chapter of my life in one of the best universities in the world. How did my mother feel when she was saying good bye to me, the one making a similar choice and retracing her steps? I don’t know, I didn’t ask her about it either…

And how do I feel about our personal and professional parallels? I have to ask myself this question and give an honest answer one day.